Speaker Biographies

Dr Annette Bramley, Director, N8 Research Partnership

Annette joined the N8 Research Partnership as Director in January 2018. Previously working for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Annette brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience from a career that spans numerous senior positions.  She will probably be best known to the research and business communities in the North from her most recent role as Head of Healthcare Technologies, where she has had particularly significant success in galvanising multidisciplinary research collaborations between researchers and between funders.  She also brings to the N8 strong experience of organisational change, having played a prominent role in the successful transfer of EPSRC’s grants services to a shared service centre, including the implementation of a new IT system.  Other roles in EPSRC have included Head of Mathematical Sciences, Complexity Science and Engineering.

Annette is also an artist and student at the Royal School of Needlework, graduating last year from the Certificate in Technical Hand Embroidery and is now studying for the Diploma.  Her work has been exhibited by the Royal School and in galleries in the UK.  She feels that her love for both the arts and the sciences are one of the reasons that she is so passionate about multidisciplinary research and bringing people together to address real world challenges.

Dr Srijan Jindal (he/him), Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, PhenUtest Diagnostics

Dr Srijan Jindal is the Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at PhenUtest Diagnostics. His PhD research led to the foundation of PhenUtest’s technology, a rapid point-of-care diagnostic kit for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). He currently has 3 patents filed, 1 approved and has helped in raising about £5M in the past two years for his company. His academic and entrepreneurial achievements have been recognised with multiple awards including one at the UK parliament. With his technology, he aims to tackle the global crisis of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and feminine health, he recently gave a TEDx talk on the same. Srijan is very active in the field of start-ups and helps budding entrepreneurs set up successful businesses. 

Watch Dr Jindal at Tedx Northwich: The Next Pandemic: Antimicrobial Resistance and You

Dr Thomas Horsley (he/him), Reader in Constitutional Law, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool

Thomas joined the University as Lecturer in Sept. 2011 after completing his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, funded by the AHRC. Prior to this, he was a Merchant Trader Trainee for Cargill Ocean Transportation in London and Geneva. His research expertise centres on the study of institutional power and accountability in UK and EU constitutional law. He am currently a Principal Investigator on a UKICE funded project assessing the impact of Brexit on devolution in Wales. I was Associate Head of Department (2019-2021) and the Law School’s Director of PGR (2014-2017). I held an IIAS fellowship at Hebrew University Jerusalem (2019-2020) and was an academic visitor at the EU Court of Justice, Luxembourg (2018). I have been invited to speak at the European Parliament (2016) and given expert evidence to the House of Lords EU Select Committee (2015), HM Treasury and FCO (2014). I regularly contribute commentary to national and international media and leading legal blogs. 

Dr Katy Roscoe (she/her), Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool

Katy's research focusses on punishment and its postcolonial legacies in the former British empire. She has held numerous prestigious research fellowships (Leverhulme, ESRC, Pearsall, Caird), moved between disciplines (from humanities to social sciences). While a research fellow, Katy was involved in building and representing the researcher community at Liverpool and nationally, winning the Staff Award for Early Career Researcher of the Year 2022

Dr Fiona McBride

Fiona leads Prosper at the University of Liverpool. She works within the Researcher Development and Culture team within the Academy. Fiona is passionate about career development for researchers, for postdocs in particular.

Dr Stefania Silvestri

Stefania is a Researcher Developer for Prosper at the University of Liverpool. Working alongside Fiona, Stefania brings her experience as an international researcher with her passion for languages and cultures and her enthusiasm to support others in developing their career potential.

Dr Blandine Poulet, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, University of Liverpool

Blandine's main research interests focus on defining the factors involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, in order to find new targets to slow or prevent disease development and progression. Specifically, they use mouse models of osteoarthritis and musculoskelelta ageing to understand the role of the extracellular matrix in joint pathology (such as Fibrillin-1).
Blandine obtained a 5-year Career Development Fellowship from Arthritis Research UK, on the effect of Fibrillin-1 loss in osteoarthritis and brought this to the University of Liverpool in 2016 as a Tenure Track Fellow.

Jane Fawley, Ambassador Programme Manager, Marketing Liverpool

Led by the Liverpool Convention Bureau in partnership with ACC Liverpool, the Club Liverpool conference ambassador programme unites and supports leading academics and professionals to secure and host international conferences and events that promote Liverpool’s expertise around the world, boost our economy and bring thought leadership to the City.

Jane identifies potential ambassadors and conferences, engage with current members via a programme of networking events and e-newletter and help ambassadors find the right support when they are bidding for and hosting a conference in the city. The support we offer incudes bid writing, venue finding, accommodation booking and help with civic receptions.

Rachael Molyneux, International Bidding Manager, Marketing Liverpool

Rachel is responsible for supporting academics, medics and local experts to bid and host conferences in Liverpool City Region. She proactively researches potential events and help identify suitable ambassadors to develop strong international bids that align with Liverpool's sector strengths. She represents the convention bureau at a number of industry events and trade shows to promote Liverpool as a world-class conference destination.

Ramin Torkizadah, University of Liverpool

Ramin is a fourth year dental student at Liverpool University. He was the European Dental Student Association (EDSA) Liverpool president and helped organise the 72nd EDSA general meeting in 2023 with the support of Club Liverpool.